Snow shovel



J. A. POLLOCK SNOW SHOVEL Filed Feb. 11, 1957 July 28, 1959' g r I s I/WE/Ym/E i JOSEPH 4. Po; LOCK 141M 3} B I i K i Q 5 LN J ATTORNZK SNOW SHOVEL Joseph A. Pollock, Des Moines, Iowa Application February 11, 1957, Serial No. 639,318

Claims. (Cl. 294-54) My invention relates to snow shovels and more particularly to a manually operated shovel of the pusher type.

This type of shovel is not uncommon but it would appear that those presently available are made with the scoop blade in a fixed position relative to the handle to move snow either straight ahead or to the right or left of the direction of travel. There is some disadvantage in such shovels when cleaning snow, for example, on a walk or drive bordered by a curb or wall on one side as a shovel with a fixed angle of the blade can only be pushed in one direction when cleaning the snow away from such a wall or curb.

It is therefore one of the important objects of this invention to provide a pusher type manually operated snow shovel which includes novel means for changing the direction of the scoop blade relative to the handle.

More particularly this invention contemplates attaching the handle to the blade in a novel manner so that a slight twist of the handle in either direction will vary the position of the blade accordingly.

Further objects herein include providing a snow shovel of the above class that is economical to manufacture, is durable in construction, and is very efiicient for its intended purpose.

Other objects and advantages of this invention reside in the details of construction and correlation of the various parts and will be apparent as the description proceeds.

nited States Patent This invention consists of novel parts and combination of parts to be hereinafter described whereby the objects set forth are attained, as pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing ment of this invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a rear view of this shovel taken from the line 3-3 in Fig. 2, and,

Fig. 4 is a bottom view showing relative positions of the braces and blade in solid, dotted and broken lines respectively.

Referring to the drawings an arcuate scoop blade indicated generally by the numeral 10 is positioned for forward movement in a usual manner to present a crescent shape from the side as shown in Fig. 2, and for purposes of description includes the rear upstanding portion '12 and the lower scoop portion 14. To the rear side of the rear portion 12 there is rigidly secured as by rivets or the like 16, a bracket 18 in the form of a section of channel material disposed so that the closed end 20 of the channel abuts the rear 12 of the blade 10 and the channel sides 22 and 24 are in vertical spaced relationship. A tubular collar 26 having a diameter corresponding to the distance between channel sides 22 and 24 has one end disposed between channel sides 22 and 24 (Fig. 2) soas to be held against vertical movement relative thereto but being pivotally attached by pin 28 for lateral movement. The main body of collar 26 extends rearwardly from blade 10 and slidably receives the forward end of a handle member 30.

T0 the rear side of scoop portion 14 is pivotally fasa preferred emboditened a pair of rigid braces or links 32 and 34 by means of rivets 36 or the like. As shown in Fig. 4 these braces are spaced longitudinally on blade 10 and are equidistant from the respective adjacent edges of the blade. From their point of pivotal attachment on blade 10, the braces 32 and 34 converge so their other ends overlap at pivot point 38 below and rearwardly of collar 26 (Fig. 2).

Washers 40 separate the braces 32 and 34 at pivot point '38 to facilitate their movement relative to each other in a well known manner, and pivot 38 is connected by pin 42 to the lower closed end of an elongated U-shaped rigid strap brace member 44. The upper ends of strap 44 are bent to conform to the curvature of handle 30 and embrace such handle just rearwardly of and spaced from collar 26 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Screws or nails 46 are used to secure each upper curved portion of strap 44 to handle 30. A brace 48 shown in Fig. 2 extending from pin 42 to handle 30 may be used if desired, but is not required.

Thus constructed and arranged, this shovel may be used in the following manner. Normally handle 30 will project perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis of blade 10. The handle is gripped near its outer end for a pushing action and without changing the position of his grip, an operator can by a slight turn of his wrist, rotate handle 30 a few degrees either to right or left to correspondingly change the angle of the blade relative to its forward movement and thus cause the snow to slide off the blade to either the right or left. As handle 30 is twisted or rotated a few degrees to the right, for example, strap 44 being attached to the handle (Fig. 3) swings the pivot point 38 to the left. This draws brace 32 rearwardly and moves brace 34 forwardly so that blade 10 is angled toward the right with the forward part of handle 30 sliding in collar 26. Collar 26, of course, is laterally pivotable on pin 28 to maintain alignment with handle 30. Blade 10 is returned to its original position by rotating the handle slightly to its left and to angle the entire blade toward the left, the handle is further twisted to the left when the reverse action of that above described takes place. The amount of angular adjustment of the blade required to cause the snow to slide oif rather than pile up as it would in a straight away direction, is very small and consequently very little twisting of the handle is necessary to produce the desired blade position. However, the slight angular relationships between blade '10 and handle 30'that are effected by this invention produce a substantial improvement in the use and efficiency of the push type snow shovel.

Experience and field demonstrations have established that braces 32 and 34 and straps 44 absorb very little of the strain or stress of a load being pushed, and that the main force is absorbed through bracket 18, collar 26 and the handle 3% which are designed for that purpose. In this respect, collar 26 is held by channel sides 22 and 24 against vertical movement relative to blade 10 so that adequate leverage is available from the handle to the blade and at the same time lateral movement of the handle relative to the blade is possible as above described.

It is submitted that the invention shown and described is aptly suited to achieve the purposes intended and is characterized by a combination of highly useful and mutually cooperating elements that combine their respective and proportionate functions in accomplishing the objects sought to be obtained.

It will be understood that the phraseology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not for limitation and that modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of this invention can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit and purpose thereof. It is thus intended to cover by the claims, any modified forms of structure or mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

[Iclaimf'f t I t 1. In a manually operated push .type shovel having a blade and handle extending therefrom, a' means to selectively turn said blade tothe right-and left relative to the direction of travel while said blade is being pushed, said means comprising a tubular collar pivotally secured at one end to the rear of said blade so as to limit'said collar to only a lateral pivotal movement relative to said blade, a pair of rigid braces each pivotally connected at one respective end to opposite end portions of said blade on the rear side thereof, said braces converging rearwardly of said blade with their other respective ends being pivotally connected at a point spaced below said collar, a rigid strap connected atone end to said handle and pivotally connected at the other end to the converged ends of said braces, one end portion of said handle slidably rotatably disposed within said collar, and said handle rotatable about its longitudinal axis in two opposite directions respectively whereby said converged ends of said braces will move in the opposite direction said handle is rotated and said blade is turned in the direction of the rotation.

2. A snow shovel comprising an arcuate scoop blade having a front and rear side, a bracket secured to the rear side of said blade intermediate the ends thereof, a tubular collar having one end pivotally disposed within said bracket, said bracket limiting said collar to only a lateral movement relative to said blade, an elongated handle having one end slidably journalled in said collar, a pair of rigid braces pivotally connected at one respective end to opposite end portions of said blade and converging at their other respective ends to form of a pivot point spaced below said collar, a rigid strap connected at one end to said handle and pivotally connected at the other end to said pivot point, and said handle rotatable about its longitudinal axis in respective opposite directions to change the position of said braces to selectively vary the angular position of said blade relative to said handle.

3. In a manually operated push type snow shovel having a scoop blade and handle extending therefrom, a means to selectively incline said blade to the right or left of the direction of travel, said means comprising a collar pivotally secured to said blade intermediate the ends thereof, means on said blade limiting said collar to only a lateral pivotal movement relative thereto, one end of said handle slidably disposed in said collar, brace means pivotally secured to and extending from respective opposite end portions of said blade to a pivot point spaced below said collar, and a rigid strap pivotally connected at one end to said braces at said pivot point and secured at its other end to said handle whereby a rotation of said handle about its longitudinal aXis in one direction will move said pivot point in the opposite direction and correspondingly incline said blade relative to the direction of travel in the direction said handle is rotated.

4. In a manually operated push type snow shovel, a blade to be pushed over a surface, said blade at each end defining a concave path upwardly from the bottom relative to the direction of travel, a collar. pivotally attached to the upper rear side of saidblade for lateral pivotal movement only relative thereto, said collar projecting away from the direction of travel of said blade, a handle having one end slidably disposed in said collar, a pair of rigid braces each pivotally secured respectively to an end portion of said blade so as to project therefrom below and parallel to said collar and converging at a point rear wardly of said collar, a rigid strap secured at one end to said handle and pivotally secured at its other end to said braces at their converging point, andsaid handle r0- tatable about its longitudinal axis in respective opposite directions to shift the position of the braces to selectively vary the angular position of said blade relative to said handle. p a a V V 5. A snow shovel, comprising an 'arcuate blade having a front and rear side, a handle, means connecting said handle to the rear side of said blade so as to be axially rotatable relative thereto, a pair of rigid braces each pivotally connected at one respective end to opposite end portions of saidblade on the rear side thereof, said braces converging rearwardly of said blade with their other respective ends being pivotally connected at a point spaced below saidhandle, and a rigid strap secured at one end to said handle intermediate the ends thereof and pivotally connected at the other end to the converged ends of said braces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 23, 1924 

